The perfect doctrine explains the three truths of emptiness, provisional existence, and the middle as a perfectly integrated whole, each of the three containing all three within itself as perfectly wondrous. Teachings and truths from the ten realms are all involved as perfectly full, and in one thought all bodhisattva practices are perfectly accomplished being perfectly capable. It is also a perfect teaching for beginners because there is no distinct difference in practice between that of a new practitioner and a buddha. One’s awakening is perfectly sudden, there is perfect suppression of the five levels of attachment, one develops perfect faith in true reality, realizes perfect cutting off of all illusion, performs the perfect practice containing all virtues of all practices, reaches the perfect stage embracing all other stages, possesses perfect majestic freedom from karmic retribution in the midst of a causally conditioned world, and allows the buddhahood of all beings as the perfect salvation of all beings. This teaching explains the Buddha’s awareness in a way that bodhisattvas of the distinct teaching have never before heard or understood.

[The distinct doctrine] explains the doctrine that transcends the triple world and belongs to the bodhisattvas alone, as outlined in the following eight categories: teaching, principle, wisdom, cutting off defilements, practices, stages, causes, and attainment. This is distinct from the two previous doctrines, tripiṭaka and common, and is distinct from the perfect doctrine that follows. Therefore, it is called distinct.

This doctrine is taught to bodhisattvas only. Dharma is equal for all people. However, as each phenomenon in nature is as distinct as each person’s perception of it, so this distinct doctrine is distinct from the tripiṭaka, the common doctrine, and the perfect doctrine. The purpose of the tripiṭaka and common doctrines is relief from the sufferings of birth and death within the triple world. In the distinct doctrine, suchness and ignorance are taught because delusions exist beyond the phenomenal world.

The distinct doctrine teaches the three truths of emptiness, provisional existence and the middle, independently from one another. In other words, practitioners understand the middle way by contemplating the three truths, but they observe the middle way separately from emptiness and provisionality. Thus it is called “only the middle, independent of others.” Bodhisattvas in the stage of the distinct doctrine observe emptiness, provisionality, and the middle way one by one; cut off the three categories of delusion; obtain the three kinds of wisdom simultaneously; partially cut off delusion by practicing for themselves and others; and benefit others according to their karma.

The common doctrine teaches the transition from the Hinayāna to the Mahāyāna. It connects the previous tripiṭaka teaching with the later distinct and perfect doctrines. This is why it is called the common doctrine. It is the beginning of the Mahāyāna teaching of the emptiness of all things. The tripiṭaka explains emptiness only through analyzing all phenomena, or dharmas. Therefore, it is called “contemplating emptiness through analysis.”

The common doctrine explains emptiness by directly experiencing phenomena. Therefore, it is called “contemplating emptiness embodied in phenomena.” The tripiṭaka doctrine used the contemplation of emptiness through analysis to consider all existences of the triple world and realize their emptiness. The common doctrine uses the contemplation of the emptiness embodied in phenomena to negate all existences by realizing that all phenomena are illusions resulting from delusion.

The stages of bodhisattvahood follow the development of practice from the moment of a person’s first aspiration to attain awakening, when the person bases their life on the four great vows and cultivates the six perfections for three immeasurable kalpas.

The Four Great Vows

Sentient beings are innumerable; I vow to save them all.
Our defilements are inexhaustible; I vow to quench them all.
The Buddha’s teachings are immeasurable; I vow to know them all.
The Way of the Buddha is unexcelled; I vow to attain the Path Sublime.

The Six Perfections

The perfection of generosity The perfection of morality
The perfection of patience
The perfection of energy
The perfection of meditation
The perfection of wisdom

By practicing these six perfections, the six delusions of stinginess, immorality, impatience, sloth, distraction, and foolishness will be eradicated.

[The thirty-seven requisites of awakening] are grouped into seven categories:

I. Four Foundations of Mindfulness

(1) Observing that form is impure
(2) Observing that feeling is suffering
(3) Observing mind’s impermanence
(4) Observing that phenomena, i.e. dharmas, have no-self

II. Four Right Efforts

(5) Prevent unwholesome states that have not yet arisen
(6) Overcome unwholesome states that have already arisen
(7) Generate wholesome states that have not yet arisen
(8) Maintain wholesome states that have already arisen

III. Four Bases of Psychic Power

(9) Will
(10) Energy
(11) Thought
(12) Investigation

IV. Five Faculties

(13) Faith
(14) Energy
(15) Mindfulness
(16) Concentration
(17) Wisdom

V. Five Powers
(These are the same as the Five Faculties in name, but are active, manifesting in the form of actions.)

(18) Faith
(19) Energy
(20) Mindfulness
(21) Concentration
(22) Wisdom

VI. Seven Factors of Awakening

(23) Mindfulness
(24) Investigation of states
(25) Energy
(26) Rapture
(27) Tranquility
(28) Concentration
(29) Equanimity

VII. Eightfold Noble Path

(30) Right view
(31) Right intention
(32) Right speech
(33) Right action
(34) Right livelihood
(35) Right effort
(36) Right mindfulness
(37) Right concentration

The truth of the cause of suffering concerns the accumulation of ignorance and attachment that produces suffering. It is the same as obsession with false views and wrong attitudes. The cause of suffering is the result of false views and confused thinking as well as emotional afflictions or defilements. Deluded views are classified into 88 defilements and wrong attitudes into 81 degrees.
The 88 defilements of deluded views can be divided into ten major categories:

1. Mistaken view of an independent, unchanging self
2. Extreme views of either nihilism or eternalism
3. Attachment to false views
4. Attachment to non-Buddhist precepts
5. Wrong views denying causality
6. Greed
7. Hatred
8. Ignorance
9. Arrogance
10. Debilitating doubt

When included under each of the four noble truths of the triple world, these ten defilements differ in quantity but total eighty-eight.

The five grave offenses are: killing one’s father; killing one’s mother; killing an arhat; injuring a buddha; and causing a schism in the saṃgha.

The ten evil acts are: the physical evils of killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct; the verbal evils of lying, harsh speech, malicious speech, and idle chatter or gossip; and the mental evils of giving in to covetousness, ill-will, and wrong views or foolishness.

The five virtues are: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faithfulness.

The ten good acts consist of refraining from committing the ten evil acts.

The five precepts are not to kill, not to steal, not to engage in sexual misconduct’ not to lie, and not to consume intoxicants.

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The truth of suffering states that all existence — the twenty-five states of existence, six paths, and the triple world — is bound by the suffering of repeated rebirth. Consequently, suffering is the objective circumstance of all existence.

The twenty-five states of existence classify the world into twenty-five parts, outlined as follows:

The Four Evil Destinies

1. Hell-dwellers
2. Hungry ghosts
3. Animals
4. Fighting demons

The Four Continents

5. Pūravavideha in the east
6. Jambudvīpa in the south
7. Aparagodānīya in the west
8. Uttarakuru in the north

The Six Heavens of the Desire Realm

9. Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings
10. Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods
11. Heaven of Time
12. Heaven of Contentment
13. Heaven of Delight in Creation
14. Heaven of Controlling the Creations of Others

The Seven Heavens of the Form Realm, including the Four Heavens of Meditative Absorption

15. Heavens of Great Brahma
16. First Heaven of Meditative Absorption
17. Second Heaven of Meditative Absorption
18. Third Heaven of Meditative Absorption
19. Fourth Heaven of Meditative Absorption
20. Heaven of the Non-Percipient
21. Heavens of the Pure Abodes

The Four Formless Heavens

22. Heaven of Space
23. Heaven of Consciousness
24. Heaven of Nothingness
25. Heaven of Neither Perception Nor Non-Perception

All twenty-five of these realms exist within the triple world and the six paths. All beings will have different karma so each will have different joys and sorrows and therefore different experiences.

The four teachings … are the methods of conversion that are like medical prescriptions for the world. …

1. THE SUDDEN METHOD

When the Buddha attained perfect complete awakening, he taught the Flower Garland Sūtra of the Mahāyāna teachings. According to its category and period, this sūtra reveals the sudden method of teaching. Other sūtra classification systems before and since Zhiyi treat “sudden” as a doctrinal category, rather than as a method of presenting doctrine. This sudden type of doctrine differs from the sudden method in that the doctrine itself can result in sudden awakening without the Buddha providing his listeners with preparatory knowledge.

2. THE GRADUAL METHOD

Because of the nature of the capacities of the listening disciples, the gradual method of preaching leads from the shallow teaching of Hinayāna to the deep teaching of Mahāyāna. This gradual method was used during the period of the Deer Park, the period of the Expanded teachings, and the period of the Perfection of Wisdom. The gradual method is also divided into three periods. The initial portion of the gradual method is the period of the Deer Park, when the teaching of Hinayāna was expounded in the Agama sūtras to guide the disciples and other people of lesser capacities. The middle portion of the gradual method is the period of the Expanded teaching, when the teachings of Hinayāna and Mahāyāna were mixed, and the Buddha admonished his disciples who were still following Hinayāna teachings in order to lead them to aspire for the Mahāyāna. The final portion of the gradual method is the period of the Perfection of Wisdom when only the teaching of Mahāyāna was expounded, and the Buddha taught the emptiness of the dharmas and that the separation between Hinayāna and Mahāyāna is illusory. Thus, the Buddha reveals his teachings in a specific order, according to people’s capacities.

3. THE SECRET METHOD

The secret method is indeterminate but hidden. Listeners hear the same teaching, but each understands it according to his or her respective capacity. Each therefore receives a different benefit from the teaching, without realizing that there is a difference between their understanding and that of other listeners.

4. THE INDETERMINATE METHOD

The indeterminate method is manifest and not hidden. Listeners hear the same teaching, but according to their capacities some take Mahāyāna as Hinayāna, while others take Hinayāna as Mahāyāna. Not only do they understand and benefit differently but they are aware of the difference.

These are the preaching methods of the four early periods of Flower Garland, Deer Park, Expanded, and Wisdom. However, the period of the Lotus and the Nirvāṇa Sūtras is not included in the four methods of teaching. That period transcends this classification system.